Barbican Theatre News

If you are new to Death Note, there is a lot to catch up on. It has inspired multiple adaptations across television, film, novels, video games, and even stage productions, becoming one of the most influential franchises in contemporary Japanese pop culture. The musical features a score by Tony, Grammy and Emmy nominee Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Jack Murphy and a book by Ivan Menchell. Wildhorn and Murphy's past collaborations include The Civil War, Swing, Wonderland, Carmen, and Count of Monte Cristo. Wildhorn is perhaps best known for Jekyll & Hyde, Bonnie & Clyde, The Scarlet Pimpernall, and Dracula. Wildhorn's work on Death Note led to more manga adaptations, including Fist of the North Star in 2021 and Your Lie In April in 2022. I see Death Note as this total international, breaking the glass ceiling of what manga can be musically, around the world,' Wildhorn recently told BroadwayWorld.

Ready to see your next West End show? Of course you are! Let BroadwayWorld and Ticketmaster be your guide to which plays and musicals are the most buzz-worthy this week.

At a ceremony at The London Palladium hosted by Gina and Mazz Murray, the winners of the 26th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards in association with AudienceView were announced.

The nominations are in for the 2026 Olivier Awards. The nominees included Paddington the Musical, Into The Woods, Oh, Mary!, Into The Woods, Evita, and more. Check out the full list here!

The Watermill Theatre has revealed the cast for the world premiere of Victoria: A Queen Unbound, a new play by Daisy Goodwin, creator of ITV's Victoria.

This summer, a new world premiere production of Death Note: The Musical will come to the Barbican Theatre for 50 performances only. Learn more about the show here!

The Critics' Circle has announced the nominations for the 2026 Theatre Awards, highlighting outstanding theatrical achievements.

Following sold-out seasons in London and across the UK, the critically acclaimed Fiddler on the Roof is set to tour Australia in 2026, with its inaugural premiere season at Theatre Royal Sydney from July 2026.

The Olivier Awards has revealed eligibility for the 2026 Awards.  The 50th anniversary Olivier Awards will take place at the Royal Albert Hall, with highlights to be broadcast on BBC TV and radio.

Sutton Foster shares concert dates in Boston, Atlanta, and more! Don't miss her performances alongside Kelli O'Hara in select cities.

The terror continues as the chilling ghost story It Walks Around The House At Night from award-winning theatre company ThickSkin creeps into Southwark Playhouse Borough in March for its London premiere.

Multi-platinum-selling recording artist and award-winning West End actor Matt Cardle will play Charlie Price alongside Johannes Radebe as Lola, in the brand-new production of the Olivier, Tony and Grammy Award-winning KINKY BOOTS The Musical.

Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey have taken to Instagram to further tease the production of Sunday in the Park With George, in which they are rumored to star in London.

Park Avenue Armory has appointed Deborah Warner as its Anita K. Hersh Artistic Director. Warner was named a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2006.

This is the last chance to vote for the 2025 BroadwayWorld UK / West End Awards! Voting ends on 12/31/2025 at midnight. Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!

Theatre is, of course, a window on another world, often glitzier and brighter than our own, sometimes a reflection that can comfort or discomfit us and sometimes a portal into what it is to be human at all. It is an escape - and who can deny that we need such refuges more than ever - but it can be so much more than mere escapism. The best theatre of 2025 made those lofty promises - and kept them.

We're in the final weeks to vote for the 2025 BroadwayWorld UK / West End Awards! Voting ends on 12/31/2025 at midnight. Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is December 18, 2025 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.

“And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges.” Following rave reviews, the RSC’s most recent production of Twelfth Night finally makes its way to London as part of the Barbican’s winter season. Directed by Prasanna Puwanarajah, it sees Samuel West, Freema Agyeman, Michael Grady-Hall and others reprise their roles for this limited run - but does this “midsummer madness” feel at home in the festive season?

Performances are now underway for the Broadway premiere of Bug, written by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts and directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer. Meet the cast of Bug here!